Wednesday, August 21, 2013

FaceBook's Latest Project "Internet.org" - Internet for All

Face bookChief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said
the company is teaming up with six others to help bring Internet access to more
than 4 billion people who still do not have it.

Mr. Zuckerberg estimated that only 2.7
billion people--just over one-third of the world's population--now have access
to the Internet.

The group, called internet.org, will attempt
to aid emerging economies by making Web access more affordable, use data more
efficiently and help business drive access to more users.

Facebook Inc's Chief Executive Mark
Zuckerberg has enlisted Samsung Electronics Co Ltd,Qualcomm
Inc and four other companies for a project aimed at bringing Internet
access to people around the world who cannot afford it, following efforts byGoogle Inc.

The project, called Internet.org, is the
latest move by an Internet company trying to expand Web access globally.
Facebook rival Google is hoping technology, including balloons, wireless and
fiber connections will expand connectivity.

Internet.org, which was launched on
Wednesday, will focus on seeking ways to help the 5 billion people - or
two-thirds of the world's population - who do not have Internet access, come
online, the company said in a statement.

It added that so far, only 2.7 billion people
around the world have Internet access.

The partnership's potential projects will include
the development of lower-cost smartphones and the deployment of Internet access
in underserved communities as well as working on ways to reduce the amount of
data downloads required to run Internet applications, according to Facebook.

But at least initially, the company appeared
to have few details on concrete plans.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday,
Zuckerberg said the group had a "rough plan" for achieving its goal.
He said the project was not just about making money for Facebook, which has more
than 1 billion members and needs to keep expanding to boost revenue.

Zuckerberg noted that the first billion
Facebook members "have way more money" than the rest of the world
combined.

While many of today's Facebook members use
the service just to keep in touch with friends, Zuckerberg said future Internet
users may have more lofty needs.

"They're going to use it to decide what
kind of governments they want, get access to healthcare for the first time
ever, connect with family hundreds of miles away that they haven't seen in
decades," he told CNN.

Facebook recently reported
stronger-than-expected quarterly results due to an increase in advertising
revenue from mobile users.

Other players in the Internet.org project
include Ericsson, MediaTek Inc, Nokia and Opera Software ASA.

While the list did not include mobile network
operators, Facebook that these companies would play a central role.

In June, Google announced it launched a small
network of balloons over the Southern Hemisphere in an experiment it hopes to
use to bring reliable Internet access to the world's most remote regions.

The pilot program, Project Loon, took off
from New Zealand's South Island, using solar-powered, high-altitude balloons
that ride the wind about 12.5 miles, or twice as high as airplanes, above the
ground.